Electric door control



March 10, 1925- 1,529,434 P. HYNES ELECTRIC DOOR CONTROL Filed July 50,1,925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 EXHAUST SUPPLY All:

guvcnfo: LEE P. HYNES March 10, 1925- 1,529,434

L. P. HYNES ELECTRIC DOOR CONTROL Filed July so, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Big.

LEE. p. HYN E S 3&3 his SHOT/140% Patented Mar. 10, 1 925.

, UNITED STATES LEE-I. HYNES, or ALBANY, NEW YORK,

- comma,

I 1,529,434 PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOB-TO CONSOLIDATED GAR-HEATING F ALBANY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATIONOF WEST VIRGINIA,

ELECTRIC noon CONTROL.

Application filed July 80,

' "'ifithe' county of Albany and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Electric Door Controls, thefollowing being a full, clear, and exact disclosure of the one form ofmy invention which I at present deem preferable.

For a detailed description of the resent form of my invention, referencemay e had to the following specification and to the accom anyingdrawings forming a part thereof w erein-- Fig. 1 shows the door engine,

Fig. 2 is an elementary diagram of my new system,

Fig. 3 shows my system applied to a train of cars having end doors, and

Fig. 4 shows it applied to a similar train. Fig. 5 shows it combinedwith a signal system.

My invention relates to a new arrange-- ment for operating the doors ofa railway car or train which materially simplifies previous arrangementsthat purpose.

Referring to the drawingsthere is shown in Fig. 1 the door engine usedin my presentsystenr. A shows in cross section a cylinder closed at itsleft-hand end and at its ri hthand end opening into a central chamTrer.B is a cylinder having a decidedly smaller piston area than A, butarranged opposite A and symmetrically therewith. A and B are therespective pistons which are rigidly connected by a rack C that engagesa mion C on the shaft of the door-arm D. n the outer end of D andconnected therewith b the usualyielding joint is a roller (2 whichengages a vertical rod e on the rear edge of the door E., On the arm I)is. an offset D projecting at right angles therefrom at its shaft end.This projection D serves to practically employed for -operate atoggle-switch F whenever the mm D comes to its horizontal position asshown in Fig. 1, the door bein%then closed. At-

that time the switch-rod is lifted by the oifsetand the contacts f, fofthe switch snap. into engagement with contacts 3 and 4 connecting themelectrically. When the *door arm D turns from the position shown, inorder to open the door, the offset D moves out from under the switch-rodF and a spring F forces the switch-rod down 193;. Serial m. 654,772.

and the contacts 7, f snap away from 3 and .4 into contact with 1 and 2,thus connecting 1 and 2 electrically.

The smaller cylinder B is permanently connected to the air supply systemwhile the largerv cylinder A is connected thereto whenever it is desiredto open the door. Then the air pressure on the larger piston area of Awill overcome the permanent pressure in' B and the engine will rotatedoorarm D to open the door, allowing switch F to close switch contacts 1and 2 as above described at the beginning ofi the moveor ment. Thecontrol-valve for A is shown at G. Normally it is held by a spring 9 inits lifted position shutting off A from the air supply and opening 1t tothe exhaust as shown in Fig. 1. When, however, magnet H is energized anddraws down its armature h, the valves are shifted to shut ofl A from theexhaust and open it to the air supply. Thus the energizing of magnet Hcauses the opening of the door and so long as it remains energized thedoor will remain open. Whenever it becomes de-energized, either duringor subsequent to the opening movement, the engine will start on itsdoorclosing action, the cylinder A being then open to exhaust and shutoff from the airpressure supply, while cylinder B, being connected tothe air-pressure supply at all times, will be able to act and close thedoor.

The aforesaid door-opening magnet H, I place in a circuit which may besupplied with current either b an operators switch or by the closure ofcontacts by a doorshoe. The latter supply-circuit also contains theaforesaid contacts I and 2 of switch Fand will be operative only solongas the said contacts are closed-by-thedeparture of the door-arnr Dfrpm its door-closing position as above described. So long as. the dooris closed the said contacts 1 and 2 will be disconnected andthe'door-shoe contacts will be-im otent to supgly current to magnet H. leferrin'gto i 2,1the circuit. arrangement just mentions is shown thereindiagrammatically. The said door-closing 'magnet H isconnected to acircuit wire 5 to which current may be admitted from battery J either bythe operators switch K at the left or by the door-shoe contacts at theright. The operators switch K is a simple, single pole snap-switch, itsblade which is moved to the right or left of its dead-center position bythe lever hand is".

It is to be understood that but one battery J is used, but for thepurpose of avoiding confusion in the diagrammatic illustrations theshowing of the battery is duplicated.

The door-shoe contacts are of the kind shown in my pending applicationSerial No. 439,072, filed January 22, 1921, and are here represented inoutline as comprising two sets of springs, m and m which are connectedrespectively to the opposite sides of the circuit so that the contact ofany spring m of one set with any spring m of the other set will closethe circuit. The two sets of springs are arranged in a vertical serieson the front edge of the door back of a rubber door-shoe m Thereby, ifthe door in closing should encounter a passenger, or any other obstaclethe yielding of shoe m at any point .will force one or more of thesprings m against one or more of the springs m and also close thecircuit. The two sets of springs are connected respectively to thestationary rods 6 and 7 by contact brushes mounted on the door butsliding on the rods according to well known practice. The rod 6 isconnected to the aforesaid wire 5 and rod 7 is connected to contact 1 ofthe aforesaid switch F, the other contact 2 of that switch beingconnect-- I 7 ed to battery J.

The foregoing describes the essential features of my present mode ofdoor-control and its extreme simplicity will be recognized by thosefamiliar with this art. A single wire may serve for the control of allthe doors on one side of a single car, or of twoor. morecars formingatrain. A single -magnet and valve are all that is required foreachdoor-engine, while the door-shoe control adds merely an alternativesupply branch for admitting current to the main supply wire 5. Inoperation it may be assumed that the door or doorsare closed. Then toopen them the operator moves his switch K to its circuit-closingposition. That admits current from battery J to'li-ne 5 and .to the oneor more magnets H connected thereto. Each magnet H lifts its valve G andcauses the engine to make its door-opening stroke as above described andclose, at contacts 1 and 2 of its switch F,

,its door-shoe circuit, preparatory to any emergency reversal of theengine by the door-shoe. The door or doors will then remain open so longas the operators switch K remains in its circuit-closing position. Ifthe door-shoe contactson any door should at this time be closed, it hasno effect, since the door is already open. The current will remain onwire 5 duringthis period and on the one or more magnets H connectedthereto, but that is an insignificant matter,

essence for the open-door period is temporary and ceiving current andthe switch F has closed its contacts 1 and 2, current will be againadmitted to wire 5 and the magnet H will lift its valve G to dooropening position.

The door will then be retracted until thedoor-shoe contacts are againseparated, when it will automatically resume its closing movement. If itshould again encounter the obstacle the action will be repeated, thedoor moving forwards and backwards alternately for a space of a. foot orless until the obstruction is removed. Obviously all" the magnets H atunclosed doors which are I on the same wire 5 will partake of the samealternating action. If that should be considered objectionable, it maybe readily avoided by isolating any door that may be thus obstructed. inWaysknownto the art. Since, however, it" is usually arranged that thetrain shallnot be started until the last door is 'closed,fit would causeno train de- Y lay if other' doors were delayed in closing to thesameextent as the obstructed one.

In Fig, '3 I show a circuit-diagram. for three cars of a train equippedwith my present system. Each magnet H 1s provided with a switch P bywhich it may be disconnected from the mainwire 5 and connected to asimilar wire 5 for separate operation by a separate switch K somewhat asan electric lamp may either be operated in a group with others orseparately by an individual switch. The same operation may be extendedto one or more additional cars, as may be desired, by the usual jumpersR, or a switch R In Fig. 4 I show the same system apappl-ied to threecar's-bf a train wherein the main car-doors are at the. center, insteadof the ends, of a car. course, is usually stationed at'the main doors ofa car when he can observe the ingress and egress of passengers and knowwhen to open or close the doors. at the ends, he stands there, usuallyon the platforms between two adjacent cars, if at the center he standsin the can midway'between its ends. .That has been the custom systemitself remains, unchanged; it is merely shifted a half-car length alongthe The operator, of

If the main doors are train, to bring each operators station from theend to the middle of a car. Thus in Fig. 4 the stations X and Y are inthe middle of the car, whereas in Fig. 3 -the same stations are on theadjacent ends of two cars respectively. Wherever the stations may belocated, the operator can from any station operate as many doors eitherin front of or behind him as may be desired, the extent of his controlbeing determined by the length of the train-wire that may be connectedup by the jumpers R or switches R In Fig. 5 I show the working diagramof an installation of my present system as it is used on the IllinoisCentral Railway. This figure also shows how my aforesaid switches F arecombined with the signal system. It illustrates, moreover, theflexibility of my system in meeting a wide variety of cases. In thisinstance each car has four doors, two on each side near the ends of thecar. It is desired to operate each door separately from either end ofthe car and also to extend this operation at will to adjacent cars.

Referring to the operators station at the upper left-hand corner, hethere has two handles K and K by which he can admit current (coming tothe handles from the battery J by wires 10, 10) to the valve-magnet H ofthe door near him, or to the corresponding magnet H of the door at theopposite end of the car, or to both. Thus if he closes K current frombattery wire 10 will go,- via the route indicated by single barbs, tothe valve-magnet H of the adjoining door. If he closes K the currentwill flow, via the route indicated by double barbs, to the valvemagnet Hof the door at the opposite end of the car. He may also close bothswitches simultaneously. Moreover, if he connects up the jumpers to thenext car, the closure of K will also admit current, via the routeindicated by triple barbs, to the corresponding valve-magnet H on thenext one or more cars. Similarly the other jumper will permit K tocontrol corresponding valve-magnets H on one or more othermars of thetrain. Furthermore the door-shoe contacts m and m will also, if broughtinto contact, admit battery current from point 22 on wire 10 to themagnet H via switch F and rods 6 and 7 providedthe contacts 1 and 2 ofswitch F are closed, in the way I have described. I also call attentionto contacts 3 and 4 of my aforesaid switch F, which contacts I describedas connected electrically when the door arm is in its door-closingposition and the contacts 1 and 2 electrically disconnected. This Fig. 5shows how I make use of my aforesaid switch F to control the signalcircuit. At eachof the four doors in Fig. 5, the contacts 3 and 4 areshown as electrically connected, it being assumed that the doors are allclosed. There is thus completed a circuit which, starting from thebattery J at point 20, will follow the route I have indicated on thedrawing by crosses, and pass successively through the contacts 3. and 4of each of the switches F in series to the point 23. There the currentbranches to the signal lamps Q, at the oppositeends of the car, the twobranches uniting at the point 21 on the negative batterywire 11. Onlywhen the doors are all closed, and the contacts 3 and 4 are therebyclosed at all of the switches F can this signal circuit be completed andthe lamps lighted. It is the purpose in this installation that thestarting notice to the motorman shall be given by a train dispatcher atthe station, when he sees, by observing the lamps on each of the severalcars of the train, that all the doors on every car have been closed. Inother cases a similar signal circuit will contain a lamp in themotormans compartment at the head of the train, the motorman receivinghis starting signal directly by the lighting of his lamp. By means ofthe switches W shown at each operators station the control of each doorfrom the opposite end of the car can be cut off. Thereby an operator atone end can Work both doors Without a chance of his own door beingirregularly worked from the other end.

' It is understood that my invention is essentially independent of itsuse on one car, or on two or more cars having jumpers to extend theoperation from a single car to one or more additional cars by electricalmeans. In the illustrated embodiment the preferred arrangement would beone omitting the jumpers leaving each car to have its doorsworkedseparately, and, in case two such cars are associated in a train, asingle operator, stationed at one end of a car where he can watch thedoor-control means of two adjacent cars, will operate the sep-.

arate apparatus of both without resort to jumpers for electricallyconnecting the two systems. But the jumpers may be used if desired.

I/Vhat I claim, as new and desire to secure I by Letters Patent is: i

1. A door-opera-tlng system comprising a single engine control magnet, asupply wire' nections for admitting current from said source to the saidsupply-wire either by the operators switch or by the door-shoe contact.

4:. A door-operating system comprising a door-engine having adoor-closing cylinder under permanent pressure, an opposing and strongerdoor-opening cylinder, a single magnet normally controlling the supplyand exhaust functions of the door-opening cylinder, a supply wire forthe said magnet, an

o erators switch a door-shoe contact asource of current, and circuitconnections for admitting current from said source to the saidsupply-wire by either the operators switch or the door-shoe contact.

5. A door-operating system comprising for each door a door-engine havinga doorclosing cylinder under permanent pressure, an opposing andstronger door-opening cylinder, supply and exhaust valves for saiddoor-opening cylinder normally set to ex haust the cylinder, a magnetactlng when energized to set the valves to admit pressure to thecylinder, a wire for supplying current to a plurality of said magnets,an operators switch at each door, a source of current, a door-shoecontact at each door, and circuitconnections for admitting current fromsaidsource to said supply-wire either by an operators switch or by adoor-shoe contact.

6. A door-operating system comprising two or more door-engines, eachhaving a door-closing cylinder under permanent pressure and an opposingand stronger door.- opening cylinder, valves for each engine normallyset to exhaust the door-opening cylinder, 21 normally-open circuitextending from each magnet to a common central station, operatorsswitches at the said station for the respective circuits leadingthereto, a source of current, circuit connections by which eachoperators switch can admit current from said source to its individualcircuit, and a door-shoe contact on each door for connecting thecorresponding magnet to the source of current. v

7. A door-operating system comprising two or more door-engines, eachhaving a door-closing cylinder under permanent pres sure and a strongeropposing door-opening cylinder, valves for each engine normally set toexhaust the door-opening cylinder, a normally-open circuit leading fromeach magnet to a common control-station and there provided with anoperators switch, a source of current, circuit connections whereby eachoperators switch may admit current from said source to the normally-opencircuit by the switch, a door-shoe contact on each door for alsoconnecting said source to the circuit of the corresponding magnet andmeans for connecting to said circuit one or more door engines on an 'adacent car.

8. A door-operat ng system comprising a door-engine, a magnetcontrolling said engine, a normally-open circuit for said magnet, asignal-clrcult, a source of current, a door-shoe contact for admlttingcurrent to the said normally-open circuit, and a switch r operated bythe door-engine at starting to close alternately the said signal-circuitand the circuit controlled by the door-shoe contact.

9. A door-operating system comprising a 1 plurality ofdoors, an engineforeach door, a magnet for each engine and a circult there for, asignal-circuit, and a switch at each door-engine operated thereby atstarting and acting to close alternately a gap in the circuit leading tothe corresponding engine magnet and one of a series of gaps in the saidsignal-circuit.

10. A door-operating system comprising a plurality of doors, anoperating engine for each door, a single controlling magnet for eachengine, means for separately controlling all of the doors from a stationat either end of a car, and a switch for cutting off at one end of thecar the control from the station at the opposite end.

Signed at Albany, county of Albany and State of New York, this 25th dayof July,

